|
LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP IN I844
By
Nicholas Besser
On account of the scarcity of timber, this, now one of the best
townships of our county did not attract the attention of the
earlier emigrants. Mr. Rosia Clements made the first permanent
improvement, located on Section 18, adjoining some 60 acres of
timber, mostly hickory. He also took a claim of 160 acres of
fine white oak timber in German township, the southeast quarter
of Section 22, Range: twp76 -11. When we were looking at his
claims on October 29, l844, his improvement consisted of a log
cabin built out of bark peeled round hickory logs, and a little
smoke house made out of split linden trees. Both buildings were
covered with the usual clabboards. A 4 acre lot, fenced, had
been well cultivated as a track patch and 12 acres fenced,
one-half mile south of this, on which he had raised a fine crop
of spring wheat that season.. A 11 his claim rights he offered
to mother for $50. I handed Clements 13 twenty francs, gold
pieces, and 60 cents in silver, the 160 acres in timber land
being the main object in this deal. The question how to proceed
to hold the same, we were told to have a lawful cabin erected on
said claim, prove up a pre-emption, by paying $1.25 per acre at
the land office at Fairfield. Otherwise this land here was not
yet subject to entry. We hired the cabin built, paid Joseph
Wilpert and Kramer Bros. 50 cents per day. One fine day the
wagon was loaded with beds, cooking utensils and provisions.
Mother, myself, Anna Maria Kelson, then the bride elect to Peter
Kramer, he and his brother-in-law, Joseph Wilpert, drove across
the prairie to the cabin in the woods, prepared dinner in the
cabin, commenced to establish the pre-emption and after dinner
Peter Kramer, Anna Maria and mother returned to Clear Creek, the
children having been left in care of Mrs. Wilpert. Peter Joseph
Kramer had been sent with $200 in gold to make the entry at
Fairfield as soon as the land office would be opened, about 8
o'clock next day, there to testify to the occupancy by part of
the family on said tract. My humble self as the oldest male of
the family, Mr. Joseph Wilpert as hired man, with his dog, were
to remain over night until we had reasonable grounds to believe
the entries were made. The dog treed a young fat coon near the
creek on a sapling which we cut down. After a severe tussle
with the dog Wilpert succeeded to dispatch the coon with an axe,
dressed and prepared part of him for an early supper. As soon
as he had finished supper, Mr. Wilpert wanted me to walk home
with him to his place, saying he had a spiritual warning that
his wife was sick. I agreed to stay alone, if he had to go, if
he would leave his dog, for in my boyish idea, thinking of Peter
Kramer having under oath to state the occupation of at least a
part of the family, by me also leaving, would, through my
deserting the post, constitute perjury. Knowing Mr. Wilpert to
be a coward after dark, superstitious, believing in jay bird
signs of trouble, ghosts, fortune telling, etc., I consented for
him to go before it got dark, about 1-1/2 miles through the
timber and six miles prairie. I took the dog in the cabin, let
down a heavy blanket for a door and patted the dog who knew me
well. I heard a whistle perhaps one-half mile away. The dog
jumped up and out through the blanket, Goodbye dog! His master
was afraid to go without the dog.
Having made friends with roving bands of Indians before this,
one instance of which I will relate later on, I had nothing to
be afraid. Nevertheless, I felt lonesome and lay down on the
bed, letting my memory pass review of my happy school boy days,
comrades, relatives we had left, the long, tedious trip,
father's sudden death, mother's sorrow and, helplessness and the
only consolation for the future welfare of her ch1ldren. She
had, what at that time was considered wealth, some $1,200.
About this time I began to figure on the bright side or the
future. Getting sleep, I heard an ominous voice, some one
calling hu hu! hu huiey! Thinking Joseph Wilpert or some one
else had got lost in the woods, I went out and called; Hello! A
few minutes later I heard the same voice farther up the creek.
It was an owl. Then I slept till long after sunrise and I was
awakened by the sound and rattling of Joe Wilpert's home-made
little log wagon over some fallen timbers, he leading with a
halter his unbroken two-years-old steers. Not wishing my mother
to know and alarm her, he had not gone to our place to get the
team and so had to wa1k all the way, leading his steers through
the grass and brush and getting jerked around. We thought he was
well punished. I did not tell mother for some time afterwards.
His wife had given him a curtain lecture for several hours
during that night. S he was a very sensible and practical woman.
Peter Joseph Kramer returned next, day, stating that the entry
was made O.K. Nevertheless, it proved soon after he had made it
on a tract said to be a claim made by Judge Callum, on Section
10, township 76, range 12. Our money was returned in silver.
Nothing more was done until all the lands were subject to
entry. The Kramer Brothers were a. peculiar set of bachelors
and had complicated names. The oldest one was John Joseph, the
next Peter Joseph. This was their business manager. The
youngest and best of the lot was Johann Peter Kramer who had
lived in Blairsville, Penn., some three years, then came here in
‘43 and took his claim of timber near a settlement, as they had
no team, to move further, erected a little l2x16 cabin for their
sister on the north line of C1ear Creek township. When we came
to John Peter Kramer’s he had erected a most substantial log
house, 16x24, 1-1/2 story high the floors made out of two feet
splits-like, cooper staves, notched in hewed 6x6 joists,
plastered with clay, mixed, with fine cut slough hay making a
smooth floor. The whole house had a coat of this dressing,
making a very comfortable dwelling. This and the, scarcity of
corn and help elsewhere, induced father to rent this for six
months at $3 per month. This cabin was built on the northeast
quarter of Section 33, township 76, range 10. |
